Reversible driving-gear.



spaced some latter, and, conversely,

LUCIUS T. GIBBS, OF HEMPSTEAD, IEIV YORK.

REVERSIBLE DRlVlNG-GEAR- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1906.

Application filed August 2. 1905. Serial No. 272,297-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Looms T. GIBBS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hempstead, in the county of N State of New new and usefulImprovements in Reversible Driving-Gear, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the drawing accompanying andforming a part of the same.

My invention relates to apparatus for transmitting the power of a' primemover to a load which is to be driven, and has for its chief object toprovide a simple and thoroughly efficient apparatus of this character bywhich the direction of movement of the load may be reversed at will orthe load left to move freely and independently of the source of power.

In carrying out my invention in its preferred form I provide on theshaft which is to be driven a pair of driving-gears, mounting the gearsin such a manner that they may revolve freely on the shaft. The gearsare distance apart and are constantly in engagement with a gear rotatedby the rime mover, so that the driving-gears will be constantly rotatedas long as thegear which is in engagement with them is actuatedthat isto say, the driving-gears can rotate freely on the shaft withoutaffecting the the shaft may rotate freely without affecting thedriving-gears carried thereby. Between. the driving-gears is a clutchdeviceas, for example, a diskmounted on the shaft and rotatabletherewith, but free to move longitudinally thereon into engagement withone or the other of the driving-gears, as may be desired. Since thelatter gears by reason of their engagement with a common power-gear aredriven in opposite directions, the shaft will be driven in one directionif the clutch device be brought into engagement with one of the rotatingdriving-gears and in the other direction if the clutch device be broughtinto engagement with the other driving-gear: Furthermore, if the clutchdevice is held out of engagement with both driving-gears rotation of thelatter will have no effect on the shaft, nor will the shaft if rotatedby other means have any effect on the driving-gears or on the primemover connected therewith.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing for a more detailedexplanation of my invention, the shaft which represents the load l assauand 5 it is to be understood, of course, York, have invented certain lvention is not limited for use in the propulto be driven is indicatedby 1. In the present instance the shaft is the driving-axle of avehicleas, for example, a railway-car-but that the insion of'vehicles, but isap licable to the driving of machinery genera ly. Near the center of theshaft and adapted to revolve freely thereon are the driving-gears 2 3 ofthe bevel type and having their teeth inwardly disposed or toward eachother, maybe engaged and rotated by a common ower-gear, (shown in dottedlines at 4.) It [8 evident, of course, that the gears 2 3, being bothdriven by the same power-gearA, revolve in opposite directions and thatthe axle will revolve in one direction or the other, according as it isconnected with one gear or the other.

For the purpose of connecting the axle will the clutch device 5 isprovided. In the referred form of the invention, as herein il ustrated,this device consists of a disk mounted to slide longitudinally on theaxle 1, but prevented from rotating thereon by means of a featherfi. Onthe side-s of the disk are teeth 7 8 of the ratchet type, the teeth 8being inclined in one direction, while the teeth 7 are inclined in theother. Each driving-gear is provided on its inner face with a series ofteeth corresponding with its adjacent series on the disk 5, so that thedisk will lock with either ear at will. If the disk be carried overtoward the gear 2' until the two series of teeth engage each other, itis clear that the disk will rotate with the gear, and the disk beingnon-rotatably connected with the axle 1 the latter must rotate with thedisk-that is, in the same direction as the gear 2. On the other hand,bringing the disk 5 over into engagement with the gear 3 will reversethe rotation of the]: disk, and likewise the movement of the ax e.

For the purpose of holding the disk normally out of enga ement with bothgearsas, for example, a out with either gear at midway between thetwothe expansible coil-springs 9 and 10 are provided, bearing onopposite sides of the disk 5 and against collars 11 and 12, respectivelyon the axle 1. The springis bein of substantially equal strength, the skwi be held about midway between the gears, as will be readilyunderstood.

Any suitable means may be employ ed i shift the clutch-disk 5 to one sothat both side or the other against the tension of the opposing springand into enga ement with the desired driving-disk but T prefer to employelectromagnetic devicesas, for example, of the type shown in thedrawing. 13 14 are two electromagnets having their poles 15 16,respectively, arranged on op osite sides of the disk 5, so that thelatter wi respond to the pull of one magnet or the other, according towhich one is energized. Each magnet has a circuit of its own through anysuitable source of current, as 17. Any convenient circuitscontroller maybe employedas, for example, a switch 18-adapted to throw the source ofcurrent 17 into one or the other magnet-circuit, as desired. Forexample, if the switch is thrown over to contact 19 the magnet 14 willbe energized and the disk 5 being attracted by the pole 16 will becarried over into engagement with the driving-gear 3, while if theswitch is thrown over to contact 20 the magnet 13 will be energized andthe clutch-disk carried into engagement with the ear 2. v

The operation of the device having been explained in connection with thedescription of the mechanism, further explanation of its operation isunnecessary. It will be obse m ed, however, that with the clutch-diskoccupying its central position out of engagement with both gears, asshown in the drawing, the axle 1 is entirely free from the driving-gears2 3 and the power-gear 4, and may therefore revolve freely, as isdesirable when the vehicle is coasting. It will be observed that thehorizontal. faces of the teeth on the clutch disk 5 andthe driving-gears2 3 are not exactly arallel with the shaft, but are inclined slight ytoward the other face of the tooth in each case. Hence if the disk 5 bebrought ever so slightly into en agement with either set ofdriving-teeth on t e gears 2 3 the effect of the inclined meeting faceswill be to draw the disk still closer to the gear until the teeth areseated to the fullest extent.

As already stated, the devices herein specifically shown and describedconstitute merely the preferred embodiment of my invention, which may beembodied in widely different forms without departure from its 5(- properscope.

What I claim is.

1. The combination of a rotatable shaft, a pair of gears mounted torotate on the shaft, means for rotating the said gears simultane- .ouslyand in opposite directions to each other,

2. The combination of a rotatable shaf a x pair of ears mounted torotate on the shaft, means for rotating the said gears simulta neouslyand in opposite directions to each other, a clutch-disk between thegears, rotatable with and movable longitudinally on the shaft,electromagnets on opposite sides of the disk with their poles inposition to attract said disk, and means for energizing either magnetindependently of the other, whereby 7 5 the disk may be brought intoengagement with either gear at will, as set forth.

3. The combination'of a rotatable shaft, a pair of ears mounted torotate on the shaft, means For rotating the said gears simultane 8oously and in opposite directions to each other, a clutch-disk betweenthe gears, rotatable with and longitudinally movable on the shaft, meansfor holding the clutch-disk normally out of engagement with both gears,'1 pair of electromagnets on opposite sides the disk in position toshift the same into gagement with either gear, and means for energizin geither magnet at will, as set forth.

LUCIUS T. GIBBS.

Witnesses:

M. Lawson DYER, JOHN C. KERRv

